The St. Louis Cardinals announced details today about the 2015 Cardinals Hall of Fame induction ceremony, presented by Edward Jones, that will take place on Saturday, August 15th at 2PM at Fox Sports Midwest Live! in Ballpark Village. The free event is open to fans of all ages.

The 2015 Cardinals Hall of Fame Induction Class of Ted Simmons, Bob Forsch, Curt Flood and George Kissell will be honored during the special enshrinement ceremony. This is the second induction class since the team dedicated the Cardinals Hall of Fame with an Inaugural Class on Opening Day in St. Louis in 2014. The 2015 Induction Class was selected via a formal process which includes fans, baseball experts and the team.

“We look forward to celebrating the achievements of these remarkable Cardinals as they permanently join the greatest names in Cardinals history within our Hall of Fame,” said Bill DeWitt Jr., Cardinals Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Fans won’t want to miss being part of this truly special celebration.”

KMOX will air a one-hour Hall of Fame Special hosted by Tom Ackerman at 4 p.m. Saturday. FOX Sports Midwest will air a one-hour special on the Hall of Fame ceremony on Monday, Aug. 17. An encore presentation of last year’s Hall of Fame ceremony will air that day at 4 p.m., followed by a replay of the May unveiling of this year’s inductees. The 2015 Hall of Fame ceremony special will premiere at 5:30 p.m. Coverage of that night’s Cardinals-Giants contest at Busch follows at 6:30 p.m.

The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame was established as a way to recognize the exceptional careers and significant achievements of the greatest players in Cardinals history, as well as those who have made exceptional contributions to the organization. To be eligible, players must have played for the Cardinals for at least three seasons and must be retired as a player from Major League Baseball for at least three years. The eligible pool of players is divided into two categories, ‘modern players’ and ‘veteran players.’ If a player retired more than 40 years prior to the induction year, he is classified as a veteran player.

Each member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame is permanently enshrined in the new Cardinals Hall of Fame Gallery presented by Edward Jones that is located on the second floor of Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village, just outside the entrance to the team’s new museum. The Hall of Fame Gallery is free and open to the public.

Chosen by the fans, Simmons and Forsch were the top two vote-getters in the online Cardinals Hall of Fame balloting presented by Edward Jones. The ballot, which also included Cardinals legends Steve Carlton, Keith Hernandez, Mark McGwire, Matt Morris, Edgar Renteria, and Joe Torre was selected by a Red Ribbon Panel of Cardinals baseball experts through a secret ballot process. More than 45,000 votes were cast by Cardinals fans over the six-week voting period.

In addition to nominating modern players for fan balloting, the Red Ribbon Panel of Cardinals baseball experts also elected legendary outfielder Curt Flood, a veteran player, for induction using a secret ballot process. Flood was a standout defensive center fielder who helped the Cardinals to three World Series appearances and two World Series Championships in his twelve seasons with the club. In addition to his amazing career on the field, Flood’s refusal to accept a trade following the 1969 season played a historic role in paving the way toward modern player free agency.

Independent of the Red Ribbon Panel selection process, the Cardinals organization retains the right to annually induct an individual who has been an important figure in Cardinals history. This year’s selection is George Kissell, a lifetime Cardinal, who spent 66 seasons in the organization as a player, coach, scout and instructor. Kissell’s techniques and methods made an impact at every level of the organization and defined what is now known as “The Cardinal Way.” Following is a description of each Inductee’s career as a Cardinal:

Ted Simmons (Modern Era Player – Fan Selection)

Years: 1968 – 1980 .298 AVG, 172 HR, 929 RBIs

Ted Simmons played 13 seasons with the Cardinals, making his Major League debut at 18-years old in 1968. He was a six-time All-Star and won the Silver Slugger in 1980. In 1975, Simmons set the National League record for hits by a catcher with 188. He posted six seasons of 20 or more home runs and 10 consecutive seasons from 1971-80 with 75 or more RBI. His 172 HR rank 9th and 929 RBI are 7th all-time in Cardinals franchise history.

Bob Forsch (Modern Era Player – Fan Selection)

Years: 1974 – 1988 163-127, 3.67 ERA, 1079 K’s

Bob Forsch played 15 seasons with the Cardinals, making 401 starts, ranking 2nd all-time to franchise history. He threw two no-hitters, coming in 1978 and again in 1983, becoming the only pitcher in Cardinals history to throw two. He played in three World Series (1982, 1985 & 1987), winning in 1982, a year in which he threw a three-hit shutout in the Cardinals first ever NLCS game. The two-time Silver Slugger Award winner won 163 games for the Cardinals, ranking third in franchise history.

Curt Flood (Veteran Era Player – Red Ribbon Panel Selection)

Years: 1958 – 1969 .293 AVG, 85 HR, 636 RBI

Curt Flood was a standout defensive center fielder who helped the Cardinals to three World Series appearances (1964, 1967 & 1968) and two World Championships (1964 & 1967) during his 12 season in St. Louis. Flood won seven consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove awards and was named to the NL All-Star team three times. Flood’s refusal to accept a trade following the 1969 season led to a lawsuit against MLB challenging the reserve clause, which allowed owners to renew players’ contracts in perpetuity. While Flood’s case was unsuccessful, it paved the way for other players to unify and ultimately defeat the reserve clause, leading to free agency.

George Kissell (Team Selection)

Years: 1940 – 1942, 1946 – 2008

A lifetime Cardinal, Kissell spent 66 seasons in the organization as a player, coach, scout and instructor. Kissell’s only time away from the team was when he served in the United States Navy. Kissell’s techniques and methods made an impact at every level of the organization and defined what is now known as “the Cardinal Way.” Kissell’s knowledge of the game’s fundamentals, innovative drills to reinforce skills and techniques, and his down-to-earth demeanor transformed the careers of many players.

The 8,000 square foot state-of-the art St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, which is on the second floor of Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village, celebrates the rich history of baseball in St. Louis and the legacy of one of baseball’s most storied franchises. The Cardinals’ museum collection is the largest team-held collection in baseball and is second only to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in terms of size with over 20,000 memorabilia items and hundreds of thousands of archival photographs. Fans can learn more about the museum, hours of operation and admission at cardinals.com/museum.

The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame, presented by Edward Jones

The St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame was established as a way to recognize the exceptional careers and significant achievements of the greatest players in Cardinals history, as well as those who have made exceptional contributions to the organization. Each member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame is permanently enshrined in the new Cardinals Hall of Fame Gallery presented by Edward Jones that is located on the second floor of Cardinals Nation in Ballpark Village, just outside the entrance to the team’s new museum. The Hall of Fame Gallery is free and open to the public. On Opening Day 2014, the Cardinals dedicated the Hall of Fame with an Inaugural Class, consisting of 22 Cardinals who are either enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame as Cardinals or whose number has been retired by the club. Last August, the 2014 Induction Class of Jim Edmonds, Willie McGee, Mike Shannon and Marty Marion was the first class to be inducted into the new Hall of Fame that was selected via a formal process which includes fans, baseball experts and the team. Fans can learn more by visiting www.cardinals.com/hof.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/31/cardinals-hall-of-fame-induction-ceremony-details/feed/4Talking Young St. Louis Cardinals Players on WGEMhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/22/talking-young-st-louis-cardinals-players-on-wgem/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/22/talking-young-st-louis-cardinals-players-on-wgem/#commentsWed, 22 Jul 2015 16:48:30 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22450On Wednesday morning, I joined Josh Houchins on WGEM ESPN 1440 Radio. The subject was the rise of some of the St. Louis Cardinals’ young players and the club’s dependence on them. Stephen Piscotty’s arrival and the team’s trade options were the primary focus. We also discussed the status of Jaime Garcia and Marco Gonzales, working back from injury and more. Make sure you stay with it until the end, as I was asked what it would take to acquire Mike Trout. My completely off-the-cuff reply surprised them.

Josh is the host of WGEM SportsCenter, the only sports talk show in the Quincy, Illinois area, on-air from 7:00–9:00 a.m. every weekday morning. You can learn more at wgem.com and follow Josh (@JWHooch) and the show on Twitter at @wgemesc.

Sister station WGEM 105.1 FM continues to be a member of the Cardinals radio network. If you live in the Tri-State area, make sure you tune in to game action all season long.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/22/talking-young-st-louis-cardinals-players-on-wgem/feed/17Scout.com Cardinals Fantasy Talk on SiriusXMhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/17/scout-com-cardinals-fantasy-talk-on-siriusxm-2/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/17/scout-com-cardinals-fantasy-talk-on-siriusxm-2/#commentsSat, 18 Jul 2015 03:58:42 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22446Scout.com has a full-scale fantasy sports presence, which can be accessed at fantasy.scout.com. Another element of the initiative is a nightly show on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio, Sirius channel 210 and XM channel 87.

Heading into the All-Star break, I joined hosts Tommy G and Dr. Roto, Scout Senior Fantasy Sports Experts, to discuss the St. Louis Cardinals from a fantasy perspective.

Among the subjects touched upon during this excerpt, extracted from a longer interview, include Jason Heyward‘s first half of the season and whether he might remain a Cardinal in 2016 as well as the differences in Trevor Rosenthal this year.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/17/scout-com-cardinals-fantasy-talk-on-siriusxm-2/feed/52Catch the Five Best Cardinals First Half Games on Replayhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/16/catch-the-five-best-cardinals-first-half-games-on-replay/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/16/catch-the-five-best-cardinals-first-half-games-on-replay/#commentsThu, 16 Jul 2015 15:53:37 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22440(FOX Sports Midwest release)

FOX Sports Midwest will replay five of the best Cardinals games of the first half of the season this Thursday, July 16, two days after the All-Star Game. The marathon starts at 1 p.m. CT. Each game is the original FOX Sports Midwest telecast edited into a two-hour window.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/16/catch-the-five-best-cardinals-first-half-games-on-replay/feed/0Cardinals Fans All-Star Grumblings Unwarrantedhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/15/cardinals-fans-all-star-grumblings-unwarranted/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/15/cardinals-fans-all-star-grumblings-unwarranted/#commentsWed, 15 Jul 2015 19:02:17 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22431Now that the 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game is in the books, the attention of baseball fans can move to the second segment of the regular season and some exciting pennant (and wild card) races.

I will be glad to see Friday’s games arrive as I have grown weary of the complaining, much of it unwarranted, in my opinion, from numerous St. Louis Cardinals fans about the All-Star Game.

I will break down three of the most common gripes.

Wong and Carpenter Snubbed

Complaint: Second-place finishers in the voting, specifically Kolten Wong and Matt Carpenter, were snubbed by the players, NL manager and MLB for not being selected as reserves and for being left off The Final Vote ballot.

Reaction: The fans get to pick the eight position player starters. That is it. MLB players and the manager of the World Series team from the prior year are empowered to fill out the roster. MLB sets The Final Vote competitors for the fan ballot.

Those are the rules. Deal with it.

Only the most arrogant of fans would believe that two of their favorite team’s players should be among the five on The Final Vote ballot. Besides, had one or two other Cardinals been among the choices along with eventual winner Carlos Martinez, chances are very good they would have split the vote and none of them would have made it.

The reality is that both Wong and Carpenter have been scuffling. Wong suffered a concussion in Chicago recently and Carpenter has been dealing with fatigue this season. The extra rest received over the break is going to be more important to St. Louis this season than whatever small effect they may have had on the All-Star Game and resulting home field advantage in the World Series.

No Cardinals Pitched in the Game

None of the three Cardinals on the NL team pitched Tuesday night. Martinez and Michael Wacha were passed over while Trevor Rosenthal was unavailable.

Complaints: MLB’s best staff was disrespected by not getting to pitch. Since the Cardinals were the best pitchers, they deserved to appear.

Reactions: I disagree. The major reason is the same one with which I closed the above section. All three Cardinals All-Star pitchers are young, throwing a lot of innings in 2015, and therefore, are at risk of burning out by October. It is great they got to ride in the parades and suit up, but better for the Cardinals they did not pitch in Cincinnati.

Look back to last season when All-Star manager Mike Matheny started Adam Wainwright and pitched Pat Neshek in relief. The two Cardinals gave up all the AL runs in the 2014 All-Star loss for the NL. It is not like their pitching resulted in any positive outcomes for anyone.

To those who insist Wacha and Martinez are better than the arms NL manager Bruce Bochy chose to pitch in the 2015 game, again I disagree. With home field riding on the outcome, Bochy had as much motivation as anyone to try to win.

With all the relievers on the roster, both the AL and NL finished the game with three relievers. In hindsight, though K-Rod was not the losing pitcher, his time was when the game seemed to get away.

A least one poster on The Cardinal Nation message board specifically believes that Martinez should have gone ahead of Bumgarner and Kershaw, because he is a “better pitcher.”

I don’t see it that way. To me, Martinez is not better than Bumgarner or Kershaw. He may be hotter right now and maybe sometime down the road, he could eclipse them. However, outside of St. Louis, I do not see anyone complaining about them pitching instead of Martinez.

Bochy pitched his team’s star, Bumgarner, just as Matheny called on his guys the year before. Kershaw has simply been the best pitcher in the game for the last year, or three years or probably five years. A young guy with a half-season of success like Martinez isn’t going to push them aside.

Where is Thursday baseball?

Complaint: Some are upset that the second half schedule does not begin on Thursday instead of Friday because they are impatient for games.

Response: Is there any other team in all of baseball that seems to need a prolonged rest more right now than the Cardinals? The club has eight players on the disabled list, with several getting close to returning. As noted above, a number of others still active seem to be running on fumes.

The bottom line

In the 14 games since their last pre-All-Star break day off, on June 29th, the Cardinals are 5-9. During that time, their divisional lead shrunk from nine games to 2 1/2.

At this point of the season, extra rest for everyone associated with the Cardinals makes a lot more sense to me than the alternatives. Those who disagree need to step back and consider the big picture.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/15/cardinals-fans-all-star-grumblings-unwarranted/feed/4Why No St. Louis Cardinals Trades?http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/13/why-no-st-louis-cardinals-trades/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/13/why-no-st-louis-cardinals-trades/#commentsMon, 13 Jul 2015 14:34:49 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22423The perceived need for a trade to ease the ongoing offensive challenges for the St. Louis Cardinals was accentuated by an unlikely source over the weekend – a pair of extra-inning bullpen failures in which Pittsburgh prevailed both times. In the process, the red-hot Bucs closed the National League Central Division race to 2 ½ games.

Some seem to have lost sight of the fact that both of these teams are very good.

MLB goes into its All-Star break with St. Louis (56-33) and Pittsburgh (53-35) possessing the best records in all of baseball. The games between the two have been close and competitive, as one should expect. Five of the 10 head-to-head matchups this season have ended in walkoffs – three for the Cardinals and the two this past weekend for the Pirates.

Though it is understandable for Cardinals fans to be nervous and upset over the way the most recent two contests were lost, over 70 games of baseball remain, including nine more between these two rivals.

As I mentioned at the start, the cries for a trade to help the offense, specifically first base, are increasing. Some fans are reading into public quotes and have already decided for themselves that the Cardinals will stand pat.

Smart GMs don’t do their trading through the media. How often in the past have the Cards telegraphed a major trade vs. us being surprised when it was announced?

People who think teams can magically create trades without having a willing partner are totally unrealistic.

For those who equate the appearance of doing nothing now to doing nothing always, how many trades are being made by other teams in MLB right now?

The answer is none. Two wild cards increased parity, so more teams are in competition deeper into the season. That means there are fewer teams ready to blow up their rosters.

Right now, every single AL team is within eight games of the wild card. In fact, only two teams in all of MLB are more out of it than eight games. Teams still want to foster the aura of hope as long as possible so they can keep selling tickets and keep getting viewer TV ratings. Any prospects they add in trade now aren’t going to help them this year, anyway.

The July 31 non-waiver deadline will create some urgency, but waiver trades can be made in August.

I imagine the resident nay-sayers know this already, but don’t care about any of it.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/13/why-no-st-louis-cardinals-trades/feed/16Why Isn’t Stephen Piscotty a First Baseman?http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/09/why-isnt-stephen-piscotty-a-first-baseman/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/09/why-isnt-stephen-piscotty-a-first-baseman/#commentsThu, 09 Jul 2015 06:03:12 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22407The last 24 hours have been a wild time for the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans. First, the major league team was swept in the second of two Tuesday games in Chicago by the upstart Cubs.

Then Twitter was abuzz because the organization’s top position player prospect, Stephen Piscotty, had been pulled from Triple-A Memphis’ lineup amid speculation he was being promoted to St. Louis.

Those most excited about the prospect of the outfielder being brought up to help fill a gaping offensive need chose to gloss over the fact that Piscotty has never played an inning of professional baseball at first base. That happens to be the only position at which the Cardinals currently have a significant requirement.

Instead, the club added 35-year-old journeyman first sacker Dan Johnson to the roster on Wednesday.

Still, there was apparently smoke surrounding the Piscotty rumor, even if there was no fire. Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch tweeted this on Wednesday afternoon:

“Piscotty removed from Tuesday lineup because team considered him for promotion. He will now play 1B for Memphis more often to prep for call.”

Let’s step back and consider this for a moment.

1) Why did the team consider Piscotty seriously enough to hold him out of the game (while playing Johnson) and not follow through?

Doesn’t this sound strange? Did they forget until the last minute that Piscotty isn’t (yet?) a first baseman?

2) How could Piscotty play first base less often in the future than none?

OK, he has reportedly worked out at the position. So what? I have seen Yadier Molina take ground balls at short a number of times. That doesn’t mean the Gold Glove catcher is a Major League shortstop.

What does it say about Piscotty’s workouts to date that his name has yet to appear in a game boxscore at the position? Practice speed and game speed are very different.

The fact remains that Piscotty still has zero innings of professional play at the position and MLB is not the place to learn.

On Twitter and on The Cardinal Nation message board the last few days, several fans postulated that this is no big deal. They feel that Piscotty should be able to pick up the new defensive post on the fly.

One poster said that because Piscotty has a Stanford education, he has the intelligence to be able to handle the transition. Several others believe that since Piscotty played third base when signed, he can surely handle first.

To counter the latter point, all I had to do was reference Matt Holliday. The outfielder was a third baseman for his entire first three professional seasons, but is not first base material. If he was, the Cardinals’ current dilemma would be minimized substantially.

Like Holliday was years earlier, Piscotty was taken off the more challenging defensive position, third base, for a reason. His arm has always been his best tool defensively. Hands, footwork and agility less so. Of those assets, which would be most important for a first baseman?

In other words, a player taken off third base is not guaranteed to be a natural at first.

The whole intelligence thing is an unintelligent argument not worthy of additional words here.

Listen, I am not saying that Piscotty cannot become a serviceable Major League first baseman. I am saying that I don’t know. No one should find out the answer while he is already with St. Louis.

With the Cards now stating they plan to move ahead with Piscotty at first base (per Goold’s report), one has to wonder why they waited so long.

During the off-season, there was talk of trying Piscotty at first base this spring. That was put on the back burner when Mark Reynolds was signed as a free agent. The apparent plan was that the veteran would back up Matt Adams, with Xavier Scruggs in reserve.

I guess I can see why there was less urgency, but why not at least start the experiment?

I asked Piscotty about this directly in late April and he said no one had discussed with him any plans to play first.

But then, wouldn’t the requirement have increased exponentially when Adams went down with a season-ending injury on May 26? That was six and a half weeks ago.

Nope, no change. Piscotty continued to play the outfield exclusively with Memphis while Scruggs and Johnson covered first. (In addition, Scruggs made 25 starts between left and right field as the organization increased his versatility.)

Now the Cardinals are apparently going to rush Piscotty into action at first base and everyone is going to hope he takes to the position like a duck to water. Even if so, in my view, the true test will be three months late.

Before the non-waiver trade deadline at the end of this month, the Cardinals are going to have to decide whether they can get by with what they have or move to acquire a first baseman who can provide an offensive boost.

Piscotty has precious little time to lay claim to the first base job in St. Louis in the interim since he doesn’t even yet have it in Memphis.

The Cardinals need offensive help yesterday and Piscotty is unquestionably their best hitting prospect. Yet, they currently have no place to play him and time is short. Better planning could have changed that.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/09/why-isnt-stephen-piscotty-a-first-baseman/feed/82Nielsen Tops Reyes and Kaminsky at Palm Beachhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/01/nielsen-tops-reyes-and-kaminsky-at-palm-beach/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/01/nielsen-tops-reyes-and-kaminsky-at-palm-beach/#commentsWed, 01 Jul 2015 05:02:02 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22392One of my Scout.com colleagues was rightfully excited about Rob Kaminsky’s two hits allowed over seven scoreless innings on Tuesday night for Class A-Advanced Palm Beach and feels a promotion to Double-A is due. After all, the outing lowered the lefty’s season ERA to 2.14.

Well, believe it or not, Kaminsky’s ERA is just the third best in the Beach Birds’ rotation.

If 2.14 ERA is good enough for a promo, then what about Alex Reyes at 2.08? Considered to have a higher ceiling than Kaminsky, Reyes was named to the MLB Futures Game the same day the organization announced he was being placed on the disabled list with right shoulder soreness that is supposedly minor.

Then again, both of them should take a back seat to teammate Trey Nielsen (pictured), who has a 1.85 ERA this season in 13 starts from the same rotation. Since mid-May, Nielsen has been about unstoppable. In his last seven starts, the right-hander has three scoreless outings and he allowed just one earned run in each of the other four, while averaging between six and seven innings pitched.

2015 thru June

TCN top 40

ERA

Wins

Losses

Starts

IP/start

K/9 innings

BB/9 innings

Opp BA

GO/AO

Nielsen

19

1.85

8

4

13

6

6.4

2.7

0.221

1.9

Reyes

2

2.08

2

5

12

5

13.4

4.5

0.217

1.2

Kaminsky

4

2.14

6

4

14

5 2/3

7.9

2.7

0.237

2.2

Weaver

9

2.97

1

4

8

5

7.1

2.5

0.271

0.9

Looking at these numbers, a promotion case could be made for any of the first three, which is my point. Reyes and Kaminsky are top 100 prospects in all of baseball and are among the top three or four players in the Cardinals system. As a former 30th round draft pick, Nielsen remains almost anonymous.

The son of former MLB player Scott Nielsen was a third baseman at Utah, pitching in just four games as a collegian. Nielsen was drafted in 2013 though he could not pitch due to Tommy John surgery. Last season at State College, the 23-year-old right-hander logged a 2.50 ERA with 49 strikeouts against 14 walks in 50 1/3 innings and tossed six scoreless innings of one-hit ball in his only post-season start for the NY-Penn League champs. Nielsen was among the select invitees to Cardinals Spring Training Early Program (STEP Camp) this March.

Despite all this quality pitching, the punchless Florida State League Cardinals have just a 36-40 record. But that is a story for another day.

Updates: In my haste to get the initial post up, I neglected to include the third top 10 Cardinals prospect in the Palm Beach rotation, 2014 first-rounder Luke Weaver. His results to date have been added to the above table for comparison.

Nielsen makes his 14th start of the season for Palm Beach at home against Fort Myers on Wednesday night at Jupiter. The Cardinal Nation members should check out local reporter Chris Greene’s Palm Beach Cardinals Notebook, posted Wednesday mornings all season long and full of news from Roger Dean Stadium.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/07/01/nielsen-tops-reyes-and-kaminsky-at-palm-beach/feed/53Cardinals Rumored to be on Two July 2nd Signeeshttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/26/cardinals-rumored-to-be-on-two-july-2nd-signees/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/26/cardinals-rumored-to-be-on-two-july-2nd-signees/#commentsSat, 27 Jun 2015 04:49:13 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22383Old Scout.com friend Kiley McDaniel, now with Fangraphs, has compiled a most difficult list of players to create – the top international prospects free to sign on July 2nd. The best part is that McDaniel has worked his contacts to come up with the best intelligence as to where these young men are most likely to sign and for how much.

The most prominent name linked to the St. Louis Cardinals for some weeks is Venezuelan right-handed pitcher Alvaro Seijas. The 16-year-old, number 17 on McDaniel’s rankings, is expected to sign for $725,000, a relative bargain compared to others of similar talent on the list.

The second name associated with the Cards is a shortstop, Raffy Ozuna. The 16-year-old Dominican comes in at number 36 on McDaniel’s list and may sign for $650,000.

If both are landed, the Cardinals would have spent just over two-thirds of their total 2015-16 International Bonus Pool of $2,038,200.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/26/cardinals-rumored-to-be-on-two-july-2nd-signees/feed/16Cardinals Organization Roster Matrix: 2015 Draft and Short Seasonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/24/cardinals-organization-roster-matrix-2015-draft-and-short-season/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/24/cardinals-organization-roster-matrix-2015-draft-and-short-season/#commentsWed, 24 Jun 2015 18:06:09 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22371With the June 23rd Opening Day for Johnson City, the last St. Louis Cardinals minor league team to take the field in the 2015 season, it is time for another refresh of the Roster Matrix.

This version incorporates the 2015 Draft and will reflect the changes made from the start of 2015 short season play until after the playoffs at all levels are complete. The previous matrix reflects the rosters as they evolved during the 2015 regular season to date.

If you are new to the blog and not familiar with the Cardinals organization roster matrix, here is quick summary:

As 2015 short season play opened, the St. Louis Cardinals had 273 players under contract from top to bottom, including a full 40-man roster. The latter are called out in bold. The matrix places each of the 273 at his assigned level in the system as well as by position. It is kept updated daily or as transactions occur.

This version of the Matrix also includes the 2015 draft class, including their signing status and roster assignments, if applicable. Rounds taken are listed in parens following the player name, or (FA) for recent free agent signees. Unsigned and tentatively signed players are noted but not included in the totals until official.

Nowhere else will you find this current and comprehensive single-page view of the entire Cardinals organization plus multiple years of history.

Do not be concerned about the order of the players’ names within position. It has no relative significance.

Full team rosters and player profiles at The Cardinal Nation

Remember that to get detailed profile information on every single one of these 273 Cardinals players, simply check out their free player profiles freshly updated now at The Cardinal Nation.com / Scout.com. You can see bios, photos, videos, articles, news items, links to current season and career stats and much more – everything you need to know about a player in one place.

Click on the following links to be taken to one of the nine team pages at The Cardinal Nation. You can also see rosters and player profiles back to 2004:

Now that you’ve found this page once, remember one of three ways to get back here. Bookmark the page, type “Roster Matrix” in the dark blue search box at the upper right or use the dropdown menu at the top of the page: “Players/Staff” > “Depth Charts/Roster Matrix”.

For details behind past rosters and transactions, check out the earlier versions of the Cardinals organization roster matrix as follows.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/24/cardinals-organization-roster-matrix-2015-draft-and-short-season/feed/4Matt Carpenter on his July Youth Camp, His Dad and His Futurehttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/21/matt-carpenter-on-his-july-youth-camp-his-dad-and-his-future/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/21/matt-carpenter-on-his-july-youth-camp-his-dad-and-his-future/#commentsSun, 21 Jun 2015 16:14:39 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22359Perhaps more so than any other St. Louis Cardinals player, Matt Carpenter personifies the self-made, tough, never-give-up image of one of baseball’s most successful franchises.

The third baseman was born into a Texas baseball family headed by one of the nation’s most successful coaches and now wants to share his knowledge with the youths of the St. Louis area.

Carpenter is hosting a youth baseball camp for boys and girls in 1st through 8th grade. It will be held on Thursday, July 23, 2015 from 4:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at Lafayette High School in Wildwood, MO. That is a scheduled off-day for the Cardinals.

Camp participants will learn fundamental baseball skills and have the opportunity to meet and interact with the two-time National League All-Star, who will be on-site to direct the event. Each camper will receive a Carpenter autograph and a team photo with him.

Carpenter will be joined by a selection of prep and college coaches from the area. The camp is open to boys and girls of all skill levels in grades 1-8 at a cost of $119.

In a special offer, exclusively for readers of The Cardinal Nation Blog, if you use the coupon code TCNB2015​ to enroll, you will receive 10% off the camp price. Even better, if you use a CitiBank credit card to pay, you can take additional 20% discount, for a total of 30% off.

In the following interview, Carpenter discusses his baseball upbringing, with the central figure being his father and high school coach Rick. The 700-game winner was USAToday’s 2002 National Prep Coach of the Year and the 2014 National Coach of the Year, awarded by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association.

Carpenter continues our chat with an overview of his upcoming camp and what he hopes to accomplish there and when his playing career is eventually over. Not surprisingly, coaching is the sole item on his list.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/21/matt-carpenter-on-his-july-youth-camp-his-dad-and-his-future/feed/16Get Six Months for Price of One at The Cardinal Nationhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/17/get-six-months-for-price-of-one-at-the-cardinal-nation/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/17/get-six-months-for-price-of-one-at-the-cardinal-nation/#commentsWed, 17 Jun 2015 15:11:50 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22354I rarely use this blog to directly trump up business (see what I did there?) for TheCardinalNation.com. Given the site is my primary source of income, perhaps I should do it more often.

At any rate, today is one of those rare occurrences.

On Wednesday, June 17th only, we are running a “six months for the price of one” promotion. This is without question the most aggressive offer we have ever made. So if you have been on the fence about subscribing to The Cardinal Nation, today is the day.

You will receive full access for the remainder of the regular season, the post-season and right through the Winter Meetings.

For more details on the offer and what you get with your membership,click here. Or if you are ready to give us a try, this link will take you directly to the sign-up page. When there, click the “1-month pass” option and that is it – no special code is required.

For those who are already members, I very much appreciate your continued support.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/17/get-six-months-for-price-of-one-at-the-cardinal-nation/feed/3MLB Network Streaming Announcement Helps, A Littlehttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/15/mlb-network-streaming-announcement-helps-a-little/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/15/mlb-network-streaming-announcement-helps-a-little/#commentsMon, 15 Jun 2015 15:29:05 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22344There is good news for some of those interested in watching MLB Network via streaming on mobile devices and computers. For example, until now, if you are traveling and your hotel does not carry the popular channel, there has been no way to pick up MLB Network. I know this from personal experience.

That changed last Thursday, when MLB turned on streaming for their popular service via both the At Bat app and MLBNetwork.com. Available content includes studio shows, games and other programming, according to Forbes.com.

However, one must check the details, as there are important limitations.

First of all, to take advantage of this capability, you must already be a subscriber to MLB Network through your cable or satellite provider. If your system does not carry MLB Network, you are still out of luck, as there is no other way to subscribe.

Second, your television provider must be participating in the program. Specifically, Comcast and Charter are not part of the initial rollout. Those who are in include AT&T U-verse, Bright House Networks, Cablevision/Optimum, Cox Communications, DirecTV, DISH, Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS.

Finally, even if you can get this far, authorized streaming of MLB Network will do nothing to help you get around game blackouts. If you are prohibited from seeing a game at home, the contest will be unavailable via streaming, as well.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/15/mlb-network-streaming-announcement-helps-a-little/feed/76Book Review: If These Walls Could Talk: St. Louis Cardinalshttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/12/book-review-if-these-walls-could-talk-st-louis-cardinals/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/12/book-review-if-these-walls-could-talk-st-louis-cardinals/#commentsFri, 12 Jun 2015 14:30:48 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22334Looking for a great Father’s Day gift for your special St. Louis Cardinals fan Dad? You may even want to consider this one for yourself.

Last month, the new book from veteran sportswriter Stan McNeal became available. If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the St. Louis Cardinals Dugout, Locker Room and Pressbox is published by Triumph Books, ISBN 9781600789342. Available at local bookstores as well as online sellers such as Amazon.com, its list price is a very reasonable $14.95.

The 222-page book is organized by seasons, from 2014 back through 2011. Key Cardinals newsmakers and subplots are remembered in a series of 10 vignettes per year. The book closes with stories about a number of Cardinals legends, including Bob Gibson, George Kissell and Stan Musial.

If you are like me, you will recall a number of these events, but the book again brings them to life and in greater depth, enhanced by a large number of direct quotes. It offers a fun read as well as serves as a reference document chronicling four of the most exciting seasons in the history of one of the game’s most successful franchises.

I’ve grown to know and respect Stan while periodically working alongside him as he covers the Cardinals for FOX Sports Midwest. Before that, the Chesterfield, Missouri resident wrote for newspapers in San Diego and Florida and was with The Sporting News for 13 years as national baseball writer and managing editor.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/12/book-review-if-these-walls-could-talk-st-louis-cardinals/feed/0Cardinals Low-Hit Games Piling Uphttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/10/cardinals-low-hit-games-piling-up/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/10/cardinals-low-hit-games-piling-up/#commentsWed, 10 Jun 2015 13:48:03 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22326Last time out, we reviewed the success of the St. Louis Cardinals pitching this season. They proceeded to give up 11 runs to the Colorado Rockies that evening.

Coming off Tuesday night’s loss, during which the Cardinals managed just four hits against a Rockies starter who entered the game with an ERA over six, we will consider St. Louis’ offensive frustration this season from one angle.

Over their first 59 games of the season, the 2015 Cardinals have managed to scratch out no more than four hits eight separate times. Yet somehow, they managed to win two of those games and almost did again Wednesday night.

That eight-count is the most such outings through 59 games since 1986 and is just the third occurrence since at least 1960, according to research from Tom Orf. Only in 1984 and 1986 did the Cards have more under-five hit games, with nine both years.

In the table below, note the high number of strikeouts during those eight games this season compared to the other low-hit years.

With .303-hitting Matt Holliday likely out until at least the break and Matt Adams probably out for the year, hits are going to be harder and harder to come by for this Cardinals lineup.

St. Louis Cardinals, number of games with four or fewer hits, through first 59 games, since 1960

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/10/cardinals-low-hit-games-piling-up/feed/10Cardinals Stingy Staff on Record Pacehttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/08/cardinals-stingy-staff-on-record-pace/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/08/cardinals-stingy-staff-on-record-pace/#commentsMon, 08 Jun 2015 16:12:37 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22321Anyone who has been paying attention to the St. Louis Cardinals’ MLB-best 38-19 start to the 2015 season knows that pitching has been the key to the club’s success.

Not only is St. Louis’ team ERA of 2.58 first in all of baseball, it is the best by far – almost a half run per game better than the next-best staff, Pittsburgh at 3.03. Among the starters, Michael Wacha is leading the way at 2.18.

St. Louis’ offense is middle-of-the pack, raking ninth of 15 National League teams in runs scored and 18th of 30 MLB clubs. But the pitching is usually there to pick up the slack. When scoring three or fewer runs, the Cardinals have still won 13 times already this season, the most since at least 1968.

Back to the pitching. Including Sunday night’s comeback win over the Dodgers in Los Angeles, the 2015 Cardinals have held their opposition to two runs or less in an amazing 32 of their 57 games. During that time, the team is 26-6.

According to researcher Tom Orf, that 32 mark is tops through 57 games in Cardinals history, three games better than the wartime 1943 and 1944 clubs, which both had 29 games of holding their opponents to two or fewer runs.

Here is the data prior to Sunday, including the top 25 years of team performances through 57 games.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/08/cardinals-stingy-staff-on-record-pace/feed/3Cardinals Odds Shorten in NLC but Lengthen for World Serieshttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/03/cardinals-odds-shorten-in-nlc-but-lengthen-for-world-series/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/03/cardinals-odds-shorten-in-nlc-but-lengthen-for-world-series/#commentsThu, 04 Jun 2015 04:34:14 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22313After two months of play in the 2015 Major League Baseball season, bettors’ behavior is changing, in some cases, considerably. In the newest report from oddsmaker bovada.lv, odds to win divisions, pennants and the World Series are shortening for the hot teams and lengthening for the strugglers.

The St. Louis Cardinals, with MLB’s best record, have strengthened their hold on the National League Central, at least according to bettor behavior. The club moved from 4/9 to 1/3 this month.

To win the NL pennant, the Cards odds have lengthened slightly, from 7/2 to 4/1, as the Washington Nationals passed the Los Angeles Dodgers. To take it all, St. Louis moved from 7/1 last month to 15/2.

In the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs, who were the division favorite back in December, have slipped past toward the Pittsburgh Pirates, just as the real standings indicate.

Division surgers include the Houston Astros in the American League and the San Francisco in the NL. Among those with longer odds are the White Sox and Seattle in the AL and Washington in the NL.

The World Series odds favor the Nationals, Dodgers, then Cardinals and Royals tied, in that order. Last month’s leader was Los Angeles.

Two Cardinals appearing on the Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Award lists for the NL, are heading in different directions with Matt Carpenter going from 9/1 to 12/1 and Michael Wacha now at 9/1 from 10/1, respectively.

NL Central clubs in bold.

Odds to win 2015 World Series

10/30/14

12/15/14

3/4/15

4/1/15

5/6/15

6/3/15

Washington Nationals

10/1

15/2

7/1

6/1

10/1

6/1

Los Angeles Dodgers

15/2

15/2

17/2

17/2

6/1

13/2

Kansas City Royals

16/1

20/1

28/1

33/1

9/1

15/2

St. Louis Cardinals

12/1

14/1

12/1

12/1

7/1

15/2

San Francisco Giants

12/1

14/1

14/1

18/1

20/1

10/1

Chicago Cubs

50/1

12/1

14/1

16/1

16/1

12/1

Detroit Tigers

10/1

12/1

16/1

16/1

15/2

14/1

Houston Astros

100/1

150/1

50/1

50/1

20/1

18/1

New York Mets

40/1

25/1

28/1

33/1

14/1

18/1

Los Angeles Angels

10/1

12/1

14/1

14/1

25/1

20/1

Pittsburgh Pirates

20/1

33/1

28/1

25/1

33/1

20/1

New York Yankees

22/1

25/1

33/1

33/1

16/1

22/1

Boston Red Sox

22/1

9/1

10/1

10/1

16/1

25/1

Seattle Mariners

18/1

14/1

16/1

12/1

33/1

25/1

Minnesota Twins

100/1

150/1

100/1

100/1

100/1

25/1

Cleveland Indians

25/1

33/1

20/1

20/1

50/1

28/1

San Diego Padres

66/1

40/1

14/1

18/1

20/1

33/1

Baltimore Orioles

20/1

18/1

33/1

33/1

28/1

40/1

Chicago White Sox

40/1

28/1

16/1

16/1

50/1

40/1

Tampa Bay Rays

33/1

66/1

66/1

66/1

50/1

40/1

Toronto Blue Jays

33/1

18/1

25/1

25/1

33/1

50/1

Texas Rangers

33/1

40/1

50/1

50/1

250/1

66/1

Oakland Athletics

20/1

40/1

28/1

25/1

33/1

100/1

Miami Marlins

50/1

33/1

33/1

33/1

66/1

150/1

Cincinnati Reds

33/1

40/1

66/1

50/1

66/1

150/1

Atlanta Braves

22/1

28/1

66/1

66/1

66/1

150/1

Colorado Rockies

100/1

100/1

150/1

100/1

75/1

250/1

Arizona Diamondbacks

100/1

75/1

100/1

100/1

200/1

250/1

Milwaukee Brewers

40/1

40/1

50/1

50/1

250/1

500/1

Philadelphia Phillies

75/1

150/1

150/1

150/1

500/1

500/1

Following are League title odds.

Odds to win AL Championship

3/4/15

4/1/15

5/6/15

6/3/15

Odds to win NL Championship

3/4/15

4/1/15

5/6/15

6/3/15

Kansas City Royals

14/1

14/1

15/4

13/4

Washington Nationals

3/1

3/1

11/2

13/4

Detroit Tigers

8/1

8/1

7/2

11/2

Los Angeles Dodgers

9/2

9/2

3/1

7/2

Houston Astros

28/1

28/1

9/1

7/1

St. Louis Cardinals

6/1

6/1

7/2

4/1

Los Angeles Angels

6/1

13/2

12/1

9/1

San Francisco Giants

8/1

8/1

10/1

5/1

New York Yankees

14/1

14/1

7/1

10/1

Chicago Cubs

15/2

7/1

8/1

7/1

Seattle Mariners

7/1

11/2

14/1

11/1

New York Mets

14/1

14/1

15/2

9/1

Boston Red Sox

11/2

11/2

7/1

12/1

Pittsburgh Pirates

14/1

14/1

14/1

11/1

Minnesota Twins

50/1

50/1

50/1

12/1

San Diego Padres

15/2

7/1

10/1

16/1

Cleveland Indians

9/1

9/1

25/1

14/1

Atlanta Braves

28/1

28/1

28/1

66/1

Baltimore Orioles

14/1

14/1

14/1

20/1

Cincinnati Reds

28/1

28/1

28/1

66/1

Tampa Bay Rays

28/1

28/1

22/1

20/1

Miami Marlins

16/1

16/1

33/1

66/1

Chicago White Sox

15/2

15/2

28/1

22/1

Colorado Rockies

75/1

50/1

33/1

100/1

Toronto Blue Jays

10/1

12/1

16/1

22/1

Arizona Diamondbacks

50/1

50/1

100/1

100/1

Texas Rangers

22/1

22/1

125/1

28/1

Milwaukee Brewers

33/1

33/1

100/1

200/1

Oakland Athletics

12/1

12/1

16/1

40/1

Philadelphia Phillies

75/1

75/1

200/1

200/1

Next are the six division chases.

Odds to Win AL East

3/4/15

4/1/15

5/6/15

6/3/15

Odds to Win NL East

3/4/15

4/1/15

5/6/15

6/3/15

New York Yankees

9/2

9/2

9/4

13/5

Washington Nationals

1/3

1/4

1/2

1/4

Boston Red Sox

2/1

2/1

2/1

3/1

New York Mets

5/1

6/1

2/1

13/4

Tampa Bay Rays

7/1

7/1

13/2

7/2

Atlanta Braves

16/1

25/1

16/1

10/1

Baltimore Orioles

7/2

3/1

4/1

4/1

Miami Marlins

6/1

6/1

10/1

50/1

Toronto Blue Jays

11/4

3/1

9/2

4/1

Philadelphia Phillies

50/1

50/1

100/1

500/1

Odds to Win AL Central

3/4/15

4/1/15

5/6/15

6/3/15

Odds to Win NL Central

3/4/15

4/1/15

5/6/15

6/3/15

Kansas City Royals

9/2

9/2

11/10

1/1

St. Louis Cardinals

5/4

13/10

4/9

1/3

Detroit Tigers

9/4

11/5

11/10

2/1

Chicago Cubs

5/2

3/1

7/2

4/1

Minnesota Twins

18/1

18/1

20/1

5/1

Pittsburgh Pirates

11/4

12/5

9/2

9/2

Cleveland Indians

11/5

12/5

12/1

9/1

Cincinnati Reds

12/1

12/1

20/1

33/1

Chicago White Sox

9/4

12/5

12/1

14/1

Milwaukee Brewers

12/1

10/1

100/1

200/1

Odds to Win AL West

3/4/15

4/1/15

5/6/15

6/3/15

Odds to Win NL West

3/4/15

4/1/15

5/6/15

6/3/15

Houston Astros

16/1

12/1

9/5

3/2

Los Angeles Dodgers

1/2

1/2

1/3

2/5

Los Angeles Angels

8/5

9/5

12/5

2/1

San Francisco Giants

7/2

5/1

11/2

11/5

Seattle Mariners

8/5

5/4

6/1

11/4

San Diego Padres

7/2

7/2

4/1

9/1

Texas Rangers

7/1

12/1

33/1

7/1

Colorado Rockies

50/1

18/1

33/1

66/1

Oakland Athletics

9/2

4/1

5/1

50/1

Arizona Diamondbacks

33/1

20/1

100/1

66/1

Finally, we have the NL MVP and Cy Young lists.

Odds to Win NL CY Young

5/6/15

6/3/15

Odds to Win NL MVP

5/6/15

6/3/15

Max Scherzer

11/2

3/1

Bryce Harper

NL

2/1

Clayton Kershaw

11/5

7/2

Paul Goldschmidt

3/1

4/1

Zack Greinke

9/2

9/2

Adrian Gonzalez

7/2

9/2

Gerritt Cole

9/1

5/1

Anthony Rizzo

10/1

15/2

Michael Wacha

10/1

9/1

Matt Carpenter

9/1

12/1

Madison Bumgarner

10/1

12/1

Giancarlo Stanton

9/1

12/1

Shelby Miller

12/1

16/1

Andrew McCutchen

10/1

12/1

Jacob deGrom

NL

16/1

Todd Frazier

NL

14/1

A.J. Burnett

50/1

16/1

Justin Upton

20/1

16/1

Matt Harvey

15/2

20/1

Kris Bryant

NL

16/1

Cole Hamels

NL

25/1

Dee Gordon

6/1

20/1

James Shields

33/1

33/1

Joey Votto

11/2

33/1

Bartolo Colon

20/1

50/1

Freddie Freeman

20/1

NL

Francisco Liriano

16/1

NL

As the season continues, the 2015 odds will shift and shift again. I will present periodic updates as warranted.

Invited back once again, I joined hosts Chuck Reed and former Iowa State head football coach Jim Walden on their weekly Sunday night show, “Two Guys Named Jim” on WHO News Talk Radio 1040 in Des Moines.

The primary focus was to recap the St. Louis Cardinals’ first 50 games, catch up on injured players, emerging guys stepping up as well as the outlook on the National League for the 2015 regular season.

Once again in 2015, Cardinals followers in central Iowa can catch Cardinals radio broadcasts on WHO’s sister station, KXnO FOX Sports Radio 1460.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/06/01/who-news-talk-radio-50-cardinals-games-in/feed/1Bumping into Borashttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/30/bumping-into-boras/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/30/bumping-into-boras/#commentsSat, 30 May 2015 16:29:48 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22295Like tens of thousands of other travelers, my only goal on Friday afternoon was to beat the odds and get in and out of DFW Airport as quickly as possible.

Despite all the rains and flooding in the area, my arrival went fairly smoothly. The flight was actually early, but of course, the gate was not ready.

Had my connecting flight been blessed with a full flight crew present, I would have at least had a shot for an on-time departure. As it turned out, it was fortunate I had to stay an hour longer.

After editing and posting a couple of articles, I was left to wait somewhat impatiently in the gate area. Much to my surprise, a few yards away stood Scott Boras and an associate, dressed in jeans and matching blue fleece pullovers adorned with a stylized baseball field and “B” logo, representing The Boras Corporation.

With my voice recorder always present in my briefcase, I quickly tried to mentally assemble a list of questions for the most famous player agent in sports. Ultimately, because of the logistics challenges, I decided to not request an interview.

After 15-20 minutes, I did, however, approach the two, who were standing close to the main concourse, bothered by no one. Siding up to Boras, I asked him quietly, “Are you often able to travel without being noticed?” Without even being startled, he turned and replied in a matter-of-fact way, “Baseball fans are the ones who recognize me.”

I introduced myself and learned his traveling associate is a Boras Corp. VP and another former minor leaguer, Mike Fiore. I had initially confused the 1988 Olympian with former Royal and Cardinal major leaguer Mike Fiore. As a result, I said to him, “Oh, I know who you are.”

Turns out both Boras Corporation employees reached Double-A in the Cardinals system. Fiore was the organization’s 15th round selection in 1988 while Boras signed with the Cardinals as a free agent.

I learned the two were not on my flight, but the next flight at the same gate. They were on their way to Oklahoma City for a client visit.

Among the subjects in our informal chat were Matt Holliday and Bill DeWitt, Jr. About the Cardinals left fielder, Boras asked and received confirmation from me that Holliday and St. Louis were a perfect match. Only half-jokingly, the agent said that he has told the outfielder that unless he plays until he is 42, he will have no more use for Boras’ services.

The respect that Boras holds for the chairman of the Cardinals seems deep and real – as the owner of a baseball team, a successful businessman and as a person.

I asked Boras his view on several other points but did not state they were on the record, so I will leave them out.

I will close by noting that the agent predicts rougher waters ahead for the game in the labor relations area exacerbated by the changing dynamics in MLB hierarchy and team ownership.

By that time, Group 4 boarding had been announced for my flight, so I quickly but reluctantly took leave of Boras and Fiore, joking with the latter that I think he still advanced farther than the former as a player. They seemed to take my poking fun at myself in stride.

As it turned out, my brief time in Dallas on Friday was most eventful, but not for the reason I expected.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/30/bumping-into-boras/feed/18Holliday Enters New Top 10 On-Base Listhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/27/holliday-joins-new-top-10-on-base-list/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/27/holliday-joins-new-top-10-on-base-list/#commentsThu, 28 May 2015 03:04:51 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22287Many St. Louis Cardinals fans – at least those watching the game telecast Wednesday evening – are aware that left fielder Matt Holliday set a new Cardinals and National League record for consecutive games reaching base at the start of the season at 43.

Now that Holliday, 35, has passed Albert Pujols on that list, it is time to check where he stands on the team’s all-time consecutive games on-base leaders – at any time, not just to begin a season.

Thanks to researcher Tom Orf, we are reminded that Holliday also reached base in the final two regular season contests in 2014. That makes his current total of 45 games, tied for 10th all-time among Cardinals.

Stan Musial is on top at 55, a mark set in 1943 when Stan the Man was just 22 years of age. The man Holliday tied on Wednesday, Keith Hernandez, is the only player listed in the team’s top 10 twice.

On Memorial Day (Monday, May 25 at 2 p.m. CT), FOX Sports Midwest’s St. Louis Cardinals telecast will start with a one-hour Cardinals Live pregame show that will include features paying tribute to men and women who have served our country. The show will include:

• An interview with Cardinals pitcher Mitch Harris, the first graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy to play in the majors since the 1920’s.

After graduating from college he became a tank commander in the Army. He was known for expressing his love of the Cardinals by placing a 2006 World Series bumper sticker on his tank.

In 2007, while serving his country during Operation Iraqi Freedom, Lt. Riordan’s life was cut short by an IED blast.

The vignette on Lt. Riordan is at 2:40 of the following video.

• A 12-minute feature called “A Soldier’s Story” on Major Stephen Reich, which will air on FOX Sports networks across the country including FOX Sports Midwest.

Major Reich served four tours of duty in Afghanistan and was killed in action on June 28, 2005, during a mission to rescue a four-man Navy SEAL team as depicted in the book and movie ‘Lone Survivor.’ Major Reich was one of 16 troops aboard the helicopter attempting to rescue their Navy Seal brothers when it was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, killing all on board.

Reich was a star pitcher for the United States Military Academy at West Point. His promising professional baseball career lasted only two games for a Baltimore Orioles farm team before the Army summoned him back to active duty.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/24/cardinals-memorial-day-pregame-to-include-special-features/feed/1Scout.com Cardinals Fantasy Talk on SiriusXMhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/21/scout-com-cardinals-fantasy-talk-on-siriusxm/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/21/scout-com-cardinals-fantasy-talk-on-siriusxm/#commentsThu, 21 May 2015 19:14:28 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22271The growth of Scout.com includes a full-scale fantasy sports presence, which can be accessed at fantasy.scout.com. Another element of the initiative is a nightly show on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio, Sirius channel 210 and XM channel 87.

Early Wednesday morning, I joined host Dr. Roto, Scout Senior Fantasy Sports Expert, to discuss the St. Louis Cardinals from a fantasy perspective.

Among the players touched upon during this four-and-a-half minute clip, extracted from a longer interview following the Matt Harvey-John Lackey match-up at Citi Field in New York, is the future star potential of second baseman Kolten Wong.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/21/scout-com-cardinals-fantasy-talk-on-siriusxm/feed/1Peoria’s Dozer Park Going Nationalhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/19/peorias-dozer-park-going-national/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/19/peorias-dozer-park-going-national/#commentsTue, 19 May 2015 14:28:42 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22265Three nationally-televised Minor League Baseball games in June should hold special interest to St. Louis Cardinals fans.

Minor League Baseball fans should be pleased to learn of a new agreement to put a game of the week on national television each Sunday starting May 31. The docket on the American Sports Network (ASN) will include the “Minor League Baseball Sunday Showcase” and two Class-A All-Star Games.

For St. Louis Cardinals fans specifically, three of the 15 announced games will be of special interest. They are all within an eight-day period late next month, including one at Dozer Park in Peoria:

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/19/peorias-dozer-park-going-national/feed/0AutoZone Park Ranked Second in all of MiLBhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/17/autozone-park-ranked-second-in-all-of-milb/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/17/autozone-park-ranked-second-in-all-of-milb/#commentsSun, 17 May 2015 21:17:12 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22262If you haven’t been to Memphis lately, it is time. The renovations directed by new Memphis Redbirds owner St. Louis Cardinals to AutoZone Park have taken the city-owner Redbirds’ home to a new level. And that says something about a stadium that was already superior to several current big-league venues.

The changes have been affirmed by those in the game. AutoZone Park is ranked No. 2 on the list of the nation’s Best Ballparks in the Minors. The national publication Baseball America surveyed more than 100 minor league general managers, radio announcers, league observers, and others involved in the game about the best ballparks to help create a top 25 ranking.

AutoZone Park recently underwent a $6.5 million offseason renovation that added significant state-of-the-art features and fan-friendly amenities. Enhancements include LED ribbon boards; a Left Field Video Wall; two new TruGreen “Bluffs” inside the main seating bowl; a destination bar in Left Field; an expanded Home Plate Club; the addition of the 4-Tops Table Seating; the stadium’s first All-Inclusive Redbird Club; and last but not least, a playing field replacement.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/17/autozone-park-ranked-second-in-all-of-milb/feed/9Talking Young St. Louis Cardinals Pitchers on WGEMhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/13/talking-young-st-louis-cardinals-pitchers-on-wgem/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/13/talking-young-st-louis-cardinals-pitchers-on-wgem/#commentsWed, 13 May 2015 23:02:30 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22256On Wednesday morning, I joined Josh Houchins on WGEM ESPN 1440 Radio. The primary subject was rise of some of the St. Louis Cardinals’ young pitchers and the club’s dependence on them. We also discussed the status of Jaime Garcia, working back from injury in Memphis along with Marco Gonzales, and who might be the next pitching recalls from Triple-A.

Josh is the host of WGEM SportsCenter, the only sports talk show in the Quincy, Illinois area, on-air from 7:00–9:00 A.M. every weekday morning. You can learn more at wgem.com and follow Josh (@JWHooch) and the show on Twitter at @wgemesc.

Sister station WGEM 105.1 FM continues to be a member of the Cardinals radio network. If you live in the Tri-State area, make sure you tune in to game action all season long.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/13/talking-young-st-louis-cardinals-pitchers-on-wgem/feed/27Catching Up with The Cardinal Nation Bloghttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/12/catching-up-with-the-cardinal-nation-blog/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/12/catching-up-with-the-cardinal-nation-blog/#commentsTue, 12 May 2015 19:17:26 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22248So, I know it has been pretty quiet here at the blog recently. In 2015, I took the opportunity for a number of early-season trips and since spring training, I have seen series played by three of the St. Louis Cardinals’ full-season clubs – Memphis, Palm Beach and Peoria – plus a visit to extended spring training camp, too.

As a result, I have been on the road three of the last four weeks and will head back out again starting next week for two of the three weeks remaining before the 2015 First-Year Player Draft. When I am traveling, time is especially tight and unfortunately, the blog suffers when I am not plugged in as much.

Not to worry, though. The roster matrix remains current, with rosters from all levels of the Cardinals system by position, and including every transaction all year long.

Here are just my most recent articles – 15 in the last 10 days alone. They are The Cardinal Nation-member only unless denoted as (free):

Details behind why Xavier Scruggs is our overwhelming choice as the Cardinals top player in April.

Here are just a few photos from my most recent stop at Extended Spring Training Camp in Jupiter, Florida. For more information on the subjects, check out the articles above. If you are not a member of The Cardinal Nation, check out our seven-day free trial offer.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/12/catching-up-with-the-cardinal-nation-blog/feed/2Cardinals World Series Odds Shorten to Second in MLBhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/07/cardinals-world-series-odds-shorten-to-second-in-mlb/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/07/cardinals-world-series-odds-shorten-to-second-in-mlb/#commentsThu, 07 May 2015 22:24:54 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22244What a difference a month of play makes in terms of bettors’ behavior! In the newest report from oddsmaker bovada.lv, odds to win divisions, pennants and the World Series are shortening for the hot teams and lengthening for the struggles.

In few places is it more evident than with the St. Louis Cardinals. The club moved from 12/1 to take it all last month to just 7/1. Only the Los Angeles Dodgers have shorter odds, as 6/1.

In the NL Central, the Chicago Cubs, who were the division favorite back in December, have slipped past the Pittsburgh Pirates into second. The Milwaukee Brewers have skidded past Cincinnati into the cellar.

Other division surgers include Houston, Detroit and Kansas City in the American League and the New York Mets in the NL. Among those with longer odds are the White Sox and Seattle in the AL and Washington in the NL.

The World Series odds favor the Dodgers, Cardinals, Tigers and Royals, in that order. Last month’s leader, the Nationals, have dropped to fifth-shortest odds.

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/07/cardinals-world-series-odds-shorten-to-second-in-mlb/feed/0Seven Consecutive Wins is Cardinals’ Best under Mathenyhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/05/seven-consecutive-wins-is-cardinals-best-under-matheny/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/05/seven-consecutive-wins-is-cardinals-best-under-matheny/#commentsTue, 05 May 2015 20:22:52 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22240In my opinion, one of the strengths as well as weaknesses of Mike Matheny’s first three-plus clubs as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals is that the team never seemed to get too high or too low.

We saw consistently successful rosters that rarely reeled off major winning streaks, but usually avoided long losing skids as well. Winning two games of a given series was a far more common outcome than a sweep.

In terms of overall won-loss record, Matheny’s Cardinals have been very good, with an aggregate 294-217 mark, a .575 winning percentage. All three full-year clubs made the post-season and each at least reached the League Championship Series.

While the 2013 Cardinals dropped seven consecutive games, none of Matheny’s clubs had won more than six straight regular season contests – until now.

Granted, three of the recent victories have been extremely close – the extra-inning variety – yet it is the Cardinals who are coming out on top. I am at least as impressed with the current run of seven consecutive victories because of the momentum it represents as I am with the club’s 19-6 (.760) overall start that is rightfully drawing so much attention.

It will be interesting to watch if the 2015 Cardinals can both keep on winning as well as avoiding later setting a new Matheny record for consecutive losses, as well.

Here are the longest winning and losing streaks to date by season during Matheny’s tenure.

Year

Longest win streak

When

Opponents

Longest loss streak

When

Opponents

2012

Five

June

KC/Mia

Five

May-June

Atl/NYM

2013

Six (twice)

April-May

Cin/Mil

Seven

July

Atl/Pit

September

Was/ChC

2014

Six

Aug-Sept

ChC/Pit/Mil

Four (twice)

July-Aug

LAD/TB/ChC

Aug

Pit/ChC

2015 to-date

Seven *

April-May

Phi/Pit/ChC

Two (twice)

April

ChC/Cin

* current

April

Mil/Phi

As reference, in his 16 years leading the Cardinals, Tony La Russa‘s clubs’ longest winning streaks were 11, 10, nine (twice) and eight games (four times). Oddly, the three longest were all in 2001.

La Russa’s teams lost nine consecutive games just once and dropped eight in a row only twice. The former was during the 2007 season while both eight-game skids occurred the year before, in 2006.

Holliday’s streak has reached the top 15 for the club all-time. It is the longest for a Cardinal since Albert Pujols was on base during his first 28 games in 2009. Pujols also holds the team record of 42 consecutive contests, which he set at the start of the prior season.

With an on-base percentage of .455, Holliday leads the Cardinals and is third in the National League only behind Chicago’s Anthony Rizzo (.471) and Miami’s Dee Gordon (.463).

Here is the list of the Cardinals’ all-time bests, courtesy of researcher Tom Orf.

St. Louis Cardinals, on-base streak to open season, number of consecutive games

]]>http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/03/hollidays-season-opening-on-base-streak-in-cardinals-top-15/feed/72015 Cardinals Hall of Fame Announcement on FOX Sports Midwesthttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/01/2015-cardinals-hall-of-fame-announcement-on-fox-sports-midwest/
http://thecardinalnationblog.com/2015/05/01/2015-cardinals-hall-of-fame-announcement-on-fox-sports-midwest/#commentsFri, 01 May 2015 15:32:59 +0000Brian Waltonhttp://thecardinalnationblog.com/?p=22221As a member of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Red Ribbon Committee, who nominated the Veteran Era player to be inducted this year and set the ballot for the fan vote for the two Modern Era players to go in, I am delighted to share the details of the announcement plans for the Cardinals Hall of Fame Class of 2015.

The identities of the winners will be shared with the public for the first time during a special to be aired on FOX Sports Midwest this coming Monday, May 4 at 6:00 p.m. CT.

Fans selected two players for induction from a ballot that included Steve Carlton, Bob Forsch, Keith Hernandez, Mark McGwire, Matt Morris, Edgar Renteria, Ted Simmons and Joe Torre. In total, there should be four former Cardinals greats again enshrined this year, with the fourth being a team selection. Details on the nominees can be found at The Cardinal Nation.

Announcement plans:

The Cardinals’ 2015 Hall of Fame induction class will be revealed on FOX Sports Midwest in a 30-minute special Monday at 6 p.m. CT

Dan McLaughlin hosts, joined by Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III, from the Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum.

The 2015 Cardinals Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony will take place Saturday, Aug. 15, at FOX Sports Midwest Live! in Ballpark Village, and will be televised on FOX Sports Midwest.

Monday’s show will be preceded by an encore presentation of last year’s HOF enshrinement ceremony, and followed by Cardinals Live pregame and Cubs-Cardinals.